Actual Thermal Outputs, ErP Data and SCOPs – High Temperature Compact Heat Pumps
Technical Information Sheet
Version 1 | Updated: 29/06/2017
The Dunes is a landmark luxury housing development by Acorn Blue and Kensa Contracting, comprising forty apartments and houses among the famous dunes of Perranporth beach in Cornwall.
This video showcases the first stage of the project – drilling the boreholes for the shared ground loop array ground source heat networks, to feed renewable heat to the Kensa Shoebox heat pumps to be located inside each apartment.
Ground Source Review: South Shropshire Housing Association.
This award-winning Kensa Contracting heating upgrade scheme comprised the retrofit of ground source heating systems at two of South Shropshire Housing Association’s sites comprises twenty-two 1 and 2 bed bungalows, one flat, a communal room with general needs, and eight 3 bed houses.
Ground Source Review: Todridge Farm.
Charlie Shirley-Beavan employed Kensa Partner Installer Calibrate Energy to install four 21kW Kensa Hybrid Heat Pumps in a cascaded system to cover the high demand for heating and hot water in his six bedroom farmhouse with four adjacent cottages.
Ground Source Review: Long Crook, Craigellachie.
Derry Young built a stunning five bedroom property in the picturesque Scottish Highlands featuring a 21kW Kensa Hybrid ground source heat pump with solar thermal to provide 100% of the property’s heating and hot water needs.
A landmark luxury housing development comprising forty apartments and houses currently under construction amongst the famous dunes of Perranporth beach in Cornwall is using pioneering architecture and sustainable development to breathe new life into a former derelict hotel site.
“The Dunes”, set for completion in June 2018 by developers Acorn Blue, has completed the groundworks stage for Kensa’s Shoebox ground source heat pumps, which will be sited inside each of the dwellings to provide 100% of the two apartment blocks, five coach houses and four beach houses heating and hot water.
Utilising local companies and ground source heat pumps manufactured by Kensa Heat Pumps just 10 miles from the former hotel site, the development has sustainability and community at its heart.
Simon Lomax, Kensa Heat Pumps Managing Director, comments:
Given its spectacular location alongside one of Cornwall’s premier beaches, we applaud Acorn Blue’s pioneering decision to specify ultra-low carbon heating systems for ‘The Dunes’. Investing in ground source heat pump systems will ensure the lucky purchasers benefit not only from the lowest possible running costs but also a technology which is remarkably reliable and durable. Best of all, this renewable installation is entirely unobtrusive so there is no visual intrusion on such a stunning setting.
The ground source heat pump system features a communal boreholes dug in the periphery of the site, six metres from the edge of the dunes, to depths up to 130m; in total 3km of borehole pipework has been installed.
The communal system, based on Kensa’s award-winning ambient-temperature Shared Ground Loop Arrays, sees five systems of 19 boreholes in total; on one system 17 individual apartments will be provided heat to their own individual Kensa Shoebox heat pump from one double-probe borehole.
The Shared Ground Loop Arrays qualify ‘The Dunes’ project for 20 years of income via the Government’s Non-Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI: this scheme has now closed – please visit this page to explore other funding). It is expected that the RHI* income for The Dunes will more than offset the cost of the system.
David Stein, Acorn Blue Pre-Construction Director, comments:
Aside from the inherent advantages associated with the adoption of renewable energy in respect of improved SAP rating, lower carbon footprint, RHI* payback and generally ‘feeling good’, ‘The Dunes’ was a natural candidate for ground source heat pumps. There is no natural gas in the area and the geology is known to be highly suited to GSHP’s. Furthermore, by adopting Kensa’s Shoebox and micro-district design we realised we could eliminate any centralised plant, thereby increasing sales area and at the same time offer direct individual control and metering of their heat source to individual purchasers.
The individual Kensa ‘Shoebox’ ground source heat pump located within each property overcomes traditional setbacks of plant room designs and is exempt from the Heat Network (Metering and Billing) Regulations, and unlike traditional district heating schemes provides complete heating and hot water control to the homeowners, offering individual bills and freedom to switch suppliers.
The Shoebox heat pump offers simple installation from both a mechanical and electrical standpoint. Kensa Heat Pumps will working alongside Acorn Blue’s M&E contractor to install the ground source heat pump unit’s and ensure compliance with the Microgeneration Certification Standards (MCS).
Each dwelling is to be fitted with ‘Heatmiser’ thermostats, which will talk to smart phone controls. Individual heat and electric meters will email daily heat and electric consumption data to Acorn Blue, enabling performance monitoring and compliance with RHI* requirements.
The first Kensa Shoebox heat pumps will be installed at The Dunes in early 2018.
*Please note, the RHI scheme has now closed – please visit this page to explore other funding.
Ground Source Review: East Shaftoe Farm.
David Robson decided to have a pair of 16kW Kensa Twin Compact heat pumps installed in a cascaded system design to provide heating and hot water to his 12th century farmhouse and multiple outbuildings, replacing an old oil boiler.
Watch as Darren Veal, Installation & Commissioning Engineer at Kensa Heat Pumps, explains the correct way to unroll coiled slinky pipe for a ground source heat pump installation.
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Kensa Heat Pumps has won two awards at the H&V News Awards 2017 for its micro-district ground source heating solution for retrofit social housing; repeating its double-award win success at the same awards in 2013. Read more
This Summer witness Northumberland County Council‘s first ground source heat pump project with Kensa Heat Pumps as they retrofit ground source heat pumps into three fire stations operated by Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service.
You can keep up to date with the project’s key milestones via regular blog updates here.
Over the coming months we will bring you live updates as they happen at each site, including:
- Drilling of the boreholes
- Trenching and headering
- Internal plumbing works
- Heat pump installation
- System commission
- System handover
The project:
Kensa was appointed to Northumberland County Council’s “Framework Agreement for Microgeneration” in September 2016. The council intends to install a number of ground source heat pumps over the next few years to improve the energy efficiency of its buildings and reduce its energy costs. Kensa is looking forward to developing a successful partnership with Northumberland County Council over the next few years.
The first project that Northumberland County Council have awarded to Kensa is to design and install ground source heat pump systems in three of the fire stations operated by Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service. The Fire stations are located at Prudhoe, Amble and Seahouses. Kensa is the principal contractor for the project.
Currently all three fire stations are heated by a combination of electric night storage heaters and electric panel or fan heaters. These heaters are coming to the end of their useful life and need replacing to improve the comfort of the occupants working in these buildings. Additionally, energy costs are high for these buildings. Northumberland County Council were keen to install ground source heat pumps to reduce their energy bills and also take advantage of the Non-Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI: this scheme has now closed – please visit this page to explore other funding) which will provide an income for the next 20 years to offset the initial capital cost of the systems.
Progress so far:
Design stage
Detailed site surveys were carried out at each of the fire stations to check suitability for ground source heat pumps. Design parameters including internal air temperatures and occupancy patterns were agreed with the Fire Service to ensure our design will meet the needs of the building users. We then carried out room by room heat loss calculations to allow correct heat pump and heat emitter specification.
As soon as the heat loads were calculated, we carried out a detailed borehole design. The borehole design includes a desk top search of historical borehole records in the area and utilises information from the British Geological Survey and Environment Agency. During these searches, it became clear that all three fire stations lie within the “Coal Authority Reporting Area” and are historically undermined. Permission was applied for and granted by the Coal Authority who made us aware of the expected workings under or nearby each site.
Once all the information is collated the ground loops are designed to MCS standards to ensure that the ground array will not drop below 0°C over the course of 20 years. Further calculations were performed to ensure the correct ground side circulation pump was specified to ensure sufficient flow would be present across the heat pump.
We also applied to the local DNO to seek permission to install ground source heat pumps into all three fire stations. Permission was granted with no requirement to upgrade the incoming electrical supply to the building.
Sub-contractors
Kensa has appointed two local companies as their sub-contractor. Both companies have worked with Kensa in the past and it is a partnership with a wealth of experience. Geodrill Ltd have been appointed as the specialist borehole drillers who will be responsible for all ground works. Oakes Energy Services Ltd have been appointed as the heating engineers who bring their wealth of experiencing installing Kensa Heat Pumps.
Project Schedule
Kensa have developed a project schedule that should allow the three fire stations to be completed one after the other. Drilling will commence at Prudhoe, then move to Amble and finally Seahouses. The groundworks to complete the trenching and headering will start at Prudhoe once the drilling rig has left site and then continue to Amble and Seahouses. Finally, the installation of the heat pump and new internal heating system will commence once all ground works are completed and will follow in the same order. It is hoped that all fire stations will be up and running during by July/August.
We are delighted to confirm Kensa and Hanover Housing Association won Retrofit Project of the Year Award at the H&V News Awards 2017.
Watch Kensa and Hanover Housing collect their award from comedian Russell Kane.
A double win for Kensa at the H&V, News Awards and another award win for Kensa and Hanover (Housing Innovation Awards 2017).
We couldn’t be more proud. An incredible group of hard-working and committed individuals working to combat fuel poverty and deliver significant benefits to tenants.